7.30.2010

John Dodelande of Artcurial invited artist Xavier Veilhan to draw a nautical sculpture to be built by the Frauscher shipyard. This unique project marks the first time artist Xavier Veilhan has been invited to design a functional object in sync with his aesthetic beliefs.

First off, if you're not familiar with Veilhan's work, he's best known for his sculptural installations and had an impressive show at Versailles in 2009:above: Veilhan's purple horse-drawn carriage at Versailles

Now, back to his RAL 5015 with tons of images, auction info and a video, too.

As an integral part of the RAL 5015 boat, "The Shark" is a small object with a length of 50 cm, made of solid stainless steel that ascends and descends by remote control! A rectangular cover of composite material is provided, which is why you don't see the shark in all the images) and protects the piece from unwanted attention.

Dimension of the Shark : 20 x 49,7 x 21,7 cmDimensions of the stand : 3,5 x 6 cm made of solid stainless steel, fitted in the bulk.Material : Polished solid stainless steelSurface treatment : The shark is permanently protected from sea salt as the roughness of the metal has been diminished through a special wash, making it non-oxidizingProtective case : In blue composite material (monochrome RAL 5015) ; 60 x 30 x 25 cmRemote control : 2 buttons

The boat was designed on computer:

And thanks to the expertise of the Frauscher shipyard, the work of Veilhan, RAL 5015 is also a powerful boat and at the forefront of marine technology.

A sneak preview of the boat was shown from May 27 to June 14, 2010 at the Hôtel Marcel Dassault, Paris, prior to its auction.

The functional artpiece, made of composite resins and metal was auctioned on July 20th at the Hôtel Hermitage in Monte-Carlo, by Artcurial. The sale results have not yet been disclosed. Estimate for the auction price was $235,000.00 to $260,000.

Born in 1963, living and working in Paris, Xavier Veilhan has established itself as one of the major artists of his generation, winning over his exhibitions international recognition. Emerged in the early 90s, Veilhan established the elements of a singular and unique vocabulary. If his work borrows the most varied forms: from sculpture to painting, photography, installation, film or live performance, all these practices converge towards creating a world whose wealth stems from a relationship very strong history and a profound reflection on modernity.